Plumbers and electricians causing homes to leak heated or cooled air to the outside, general contractors installing insulation improperly leading to mold, or even HVAC contractors installing new water heaters or heating systems that are not tuned, untested, and dangerous.I can't even remember how often I've seen unprofessional work so we won't even go into do it yourself work on important systems.

Rolling the 13k into the loan I see $1400 in rent against the following expenses: Mortgage Rate 5.00% (you may do better than this) Length of Mortgage in years 30 Monthly Mortgage payment $363.56 Taxes $183.33 Sewer and Water $- (tenant) Trash $- (tenant) Heat/Utilities $- (tenant) HOA $- (none) Cap Ex and Ops $150.00 Insurance $100.00 Mgmt Fee $140.00 Vacancy $112.00 Total Expenses $1,048.90Cashflow/month $351.10Cashflow/year $4,213.25Cash on Cash Return 15.01%

Being in WI at the end of winter, especially after the ridiculously cold winter we just had and seeing that it looked vacant, I was worried about freezing pipes or other winter damage if the heat had been turned off.

Most older buildings have 8' ceilings, and everyone likes higher ceilings now.Newer buildings on the other hand are designed with more modern amenities, wider halls and restrooms, energy efficient heating/air and windows, wired for high tech uses, etc., and usually have more parking.

Adding a half bath is always good.Insulation means lower heating bills, make sure you sell this during tours.Quality, private outdoor space.2) What uprgrades/materials should I be looking into doing if I plan on turning a project into a long term rental property?

The female will be in heat sometimes, and therefore bleeding a bit all over the house unless they make her wear a "diaper", which they may not from the sounds of their cleanliness level.But if you say no, do you have a feeling he'll do it anyway?

Chicago All Temp plumbing and heating.

Especially interested in the Miami, Naples, Space Coast, and Florida Keys.

This is another place where a building inspector could help warn you about any major repairs that may be coming due in the near future (new roof, new heating/AC, etc)" http://www.biggerpockets.com/renewsblog/2010/06/30/introduction-to-real-estate-analysis-investing/J Scott, should I just email the seller and ask for this info?

I weigh my monthly rent against the following items: Taxes Sewer and Water Trash Heat/Utilities HOA Cap Ex and Ops (this is the fund for replacing the items @Glenn McCrorey mentions + snow removal + misc extras.